Tongue-in-cheek humor with “Smash”
Though its title doesn’t say much about it, a subtitle, “Bombshell: the Marilyn Monroe Story”, displayed right at the beginning, informs the audiences about what they might expect, a brilliant comedy about the making of a Broadway musical involving a legend of the screen.
Based on a short-lived television series shown in 2012, it arrives on Broadway with a bright lively score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, a classic choreography by Joshua Bergasse, an expert staging by Susan Stroman, and clearly stands out among the many successful productions already on the boards since the beginning of the season.
Much of the action is set backstage in a theater, in a restaurant, and in a rehearsal studio, a few days before the official premiere, with Nigel, a gay director, and his production team (Chloe, a choreographer, Tracy and Jerry, who wrote the book and the score, and Anita, the producer) trying to add the final touches to their show. Their star, Ivy Lynn, who plays Marilyn, is a popular actress who is guided by Susan, a coach at the Actors’ Studio. Under her direction, Ivy morphs into the role she is playing, insists on being called Marilyn, and proves to be very difficult with Nigel, the creators of the show, the rest of the cast, and notably her understudy Karen.
The animosity that pervades the final rehearsals eventually leads to Nigel being fired by Anita, to be replaced by Chloe, and Karen stepping into the shoes of Ivy until the latter fires Susan and returns to the show with a different, more friendly attitude. The show is poorly received by the press, but the producing staff decides to push ahead, taking as an example Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along”, a flop that turned into a hit, one of several allusions to some real Broadway moments during the course of the action.
Brilliantly staged by Susan Stroman, in one of her most suggestive productions, and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse, “Smash” is a pleasantly delightful musical. If the script by Bob Martin and Rick Rice takes time to find its own tempo, it elevates itself to its appropriate rhythm and reveals itself most entertaining.
The cast is up to the theatrical demands of the story, with John Behlman and Krysta Rodriguez giving well-defined performances as Jerry and Tracy; Kristine Nielsen, hilarious as the devastating Susan, a witchy old bag; and Jacqueline B. Arnold as Anita, its producer. The tongue-in-cheek humor that pervades the narrative is best exploited and displayed by Brooks Ashmanskas, last seen in “Once Upon a Mattress” earlier this season, who turns the character of Nigel into a joyful, exuberantly angry stage director. But the palm goes to the three actresses asked to impersonate Marilyn, Robyn Hurder, splendid as Ivy Lynn, Caroline Bowman, very attractive as Karen, and Bella Coppola great as Chloe. All three of them are dotted with remarkable vocal talents displayed in solos that raise the show to its highest levels of quality and duly stop the action.
The songs take time to grab the audience’s attention, but several hit the spot, most particularly “Second Hand White Baby Grand”, “The 20th Century Fox Mambo”, “Don’t Forget Me”, and “Let Me Be Your Star”, among several of the same ilk.
Altogether, this entertaining salute to Broadway, full of uplifting musical tunes, splendid performances, exciting dances, all built around a set of funny theatrical moments, is an effervescent tribute to the stage and another positive addition to the current season.
Music Supervision: Stephen Oremus • Music Direction: Paul Staroba • Choreography: Joshua Bergasse • Scenic Design: Beowulf Boritt • Costume Design: Alejo Vietti • Lighting Design: Ken Billington • Sound Design: Brian Ronan • Projection Design: S Katy Tucker • With: Robyn Hurder (Ivy), Brooks Ashmanskas (Nigel), Krysta Rodriguez (Tracy), John Behlmann (Jerry), Kristine Nielsen (Susan), Caroline Bowman (Karen), Bella Coppola (Chloe), Jacqueline B. Arnold (Anita), Casey Garvin (Charlie), Nicholas Matos (Scott), Megan Kane (Holly) and others
Cover photo: Matthew Murphy